


Periphery

by Gorsecloud



Series: Peripheral Spaces [1]
Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Dynamic/Evolving tags, Gen, Mostly Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:15:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25092211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gorsecloud/pseuds/Gorsecloud
Summary: Borders. Fringes. Margins.Peripheral vision is defined as "all that is visible to the eye outside the central area of focus." Things that exist but are not quite in plain sight. The sorts of things that flicker there, around the edges, but dart out of sight if you try to look straight at them.Such was the existence of the Shadow Operatives and Investigation Team, during the events of 20XX
Series: Peripheral Spaces [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817314
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37
Collections: Quality Persona Fics





	Periphery

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is guys. The fic that's actually been stewing in my head for around two years. And background canon for so many of the other fics that I have thought of/in progress. I'm really excited to finally start getting it out here. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy.

Outside a modest office building in a Kyoto suburb, a group of people milled about, watching as a small procession filed out of said building. First a handful of officers, most carrying a box or two of confiscated material. Next, the main attraction: a handcuffed salaryman flanked by an escort of two more officers. And finally, trailing out almost as an afterthought, a small, blue-haired detective, currently engrossed in the small book of notes she was holding. 

So engrossed that she didn’t look up until one of the officers in the lead broke away from the group and approached. After a moment’s hesitation, he cleared his throat. “Detective Shirogane?” 

Lightly closing the notebook, Naoto looked up. “My apologies. Was there anything else?” Bits of information that had come up during the arrest, or retrieval? Anything that might add a snarl to this nearly-closed case? She honestly hoped not, but-

“Not at all,” the officer inclined his head, looking a bit relieved himself, “I was just wondering if you’d be following us to the station, to give your final report.” 

She frowned very slightly, doing what she could to keep any of her feelings off her face, “Actually, I’d prefer to give my report in the morning, if there are no objections. I’ll need to be headed out of town for another case by the afternoon.” 

After a moment’s consideration, he nodded. “Of course. We have several formalities on our end to go through as is.” 

She’d suspected as much. There usually was. Still, it meant she would actually be able to take her time packing and writing up the report. Maybe even get to take some time for herself, or at least get to bed at something resembling a decent hour. “I will take my leave then,” she said.

The other officer bowed politely, “Have a good evening, Shirogane-san.” 

She pushed her way through the crowd, sighing internally at how - even now - people were watching in avid fascination, making a spectacle of the arrested businessman. Kyoto was hardly Inaba, but some things stayed the same no matter where you were, she supposed. Either way, she was glad to be done. 

It wasn’t until she was back in her hotel room that she let some of the politeness slip a little. Not that there had been anything particularly grueling or trying about this case - it’d actually been rather routine. But it had still been just the latest in a series of nearly back-to-back cases - the sixth in half as many weeks, at her last count, with an overall trend of increasing workload for much longer than that. And there were no signs of it stopping anytime soon. As she’d mentioned to the Kyoto officer, she was leaving for another case tomorrow, and had at least four other requests outstanding, not counting if anything time-sensitive came up. 

She was used to the idea of working long stretches of time with few breaks, but this pace - and the idea of it continuing for the foreseeable future - was starting to wear on her a bit. She loved her work, even in its periods of boom and bust, but something about this particular surge left her feeling unsettled. It was almost unnatural, though that possibility raised a whole other host of questions. 

In any case though, her position wasn’t so solid she felt she could afford the risk of gaining a reputation of being difficult to hire or work with. Though she wasn’t entirely sure she would ever feel entirely comfortable in that regard. 

Still, she needed at least _some_ time to devote to her personal interests. Even if it was yet another case. 

Thankfully, this particular case was easier than some to squeeze between other obligations, due to the amount of media coverage it was getting. And so now, as she always did whenever she found herself with a spare moment, Naoto pulled out a particular notebook, flicking through pages until she found the notes she’d been taking on this particular case. This action, as before, was followed by bringing up news of some sort - either a website on her phone, or a nearby television, or sometimes even a local periodical. In this case, she turned on the hotel room TV, and found what she was looking for almost immediately.

“The Minister of Transportation looks to be resigning, amid allegations of negligence after the train derailment in Tokyo last-” It was a news spot on the train accident from last week. Another instance in a growing number of instances of so-called “mental shutdowns” and “psychotic breakdowns.”

The terms were generic enough, but the actual symptoms were more eyebrow-raising. Mental shutdowns in particular bore a striking resemblance to Apathy Syndrome. And all known cases of Apathy Syndrome had been linked with the activity of Persona-users, either in their cause or - more often - their resolution. 

Her notes were detailed as she could manage with her limited time, the first section covering a list of names, dates, times… all the information she could find regarding specific victims and incidents. It was shorter than she would have liked. And that was due to the second section: a description of the obstructions she’d run into regarding the case. Meetings “missed,” records she’d been denied access to, things of that ilk. Even compared to the usual defensiveness or red tape she sometimes encountered with local law enforcement, it was egregious. And suspicious.

With a sigh, she set aside her frustration and flipped to the notes she’d already made on the train accident then set it aside, ready to take notes if something new came up. Not that she thought there’d be much, but it never hurt to check. In the meantime, she let the news segment run while she set about pulling her suitcase and packing up for her imminent departure from Kyoto.

For several minutes, the newscaster droned on, enough for Naoto to get most of her clothes folded and put away. Then, just as the station flipped over to a commercial break, her cell phone rang. She paused, glancing over at it in surprise. That wasn’t one of the ringtones she’d assigned her frequent business contacts, nor one of her friends from Inaba. The caller id was of no help either, as the number seemed to be private.

With a frown she picked it up and hit the call answer button. “This is Shirogane speaking.” 

“Shirogane, it’s been some time.”

“... Kirijo-san. It has indeed,” Naoto sat down on the hotel bed, her hand drifting almost subconsciously over towards her notebook of mental shutdown notes. 

“I trust work has been going well?” Mitsuru’s voice was warm enough, though there was a sort of distance in her voice that made it clear that this was just the usual sort of introductory pleasantries. She hadn’t called just to catch up.

“I’ve been kept quite busy of late,” Naoto admitted. Mitsuru, oddly enough, didn’t say anything at that. Had Naoto said something to trouble her? Finally, she spoke up again. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

That seemed to break Mitsuru out of whatever thoughts had been keeping her silent. “Straight to the point, then. I have something of a business proposition for you. It concerns a case that I suspect may have already caught your interest.” 

In front of her, a cheery ad played for Wanna-B Alert, promising safety and security in these uncertain times. Yes… It wasn’t much of a surprise that Mitsuru might be taking an interest in the same case. What was a bit more of a surprise was that she was coming directly to Naoto. “I suspect I do know what you’re talking about. But why would you need my assistance on the matter?” If the Shadow Operatives were already investigating the matter, that would mean that Mitsuru would already have the collective support and assets of the Kirijo Group _and_ the Security Planning Division on her side. There was something to be said for fresh perspectives she supposed, but something about that reasoning rang false. 

Mitsuru cut off any further inquiries in that direction, though her voice was not unkind, “I’m sorry, but I’d prefer to discuss the details in person. Would you be interested?” 

That, at least, was an understandable response - the details would likely involve classified information, and a phone would not be secure enough for that. Still, for all she trusted Mitsuru Kirijo on the whole, a voice in the back of her mind urged her to be prudent about this. “I may be, although I’d like more information before I accept any proposals.” 

“Of course,” there was an almost imperceptible hesitation before Mitsuru continued, “I hope you’ll forgive the urgency, but it would be best if we could meet tomorrow morning, unless you’re otherwise engaged.” 

Hmm… “The number of commissions I’ve received in the past few months has gone up significantly. But… I just finished an assignment earlier today. I need to hand in my final report tomorrow morning, but I should be able to make some time before leaving for my next. I won’t be able to stay long, though.” 

“That’s fine. We won’t take up too much of your time.” 

Mitsuru Kirijo was not the easiest woman to read at the best of times, but Naoto swore she could hear a faint note of grim satisfaction in the older woman’s voice.

* * *

The vehicle that came to pick up Naoto outside the station was the limousine she remembered seeing in Inaba nearly five years past. Which… made her sigh a bit, internally, but she could only suppose Mitsuru had reason to keep and keep using such a distinctive vehicle. At the very least, a limousine wasn’t _quite_ as out of place in Kyoto, compared to Inaba. 

It did mean, though, that Mitsuru herself was already waiting inside as Naoto got in. At least here she was dressed more sensibly than the skin-tight suit and faux-fur coat of that particular Golden Week. This time, Mitsuru was wearing sharp-cut businesslike slacks and shirt, with a fashionable overcoat. Not quite a suit, but enough that it would probably have passed for “business professional” in an actual meeting. Along with being functional enough to not get in her way if Mitsuru found herself in a fight, Naoto noticed. She was also holding a tablet.

Mitsuru waited until the doors were shut and the limo had pulled away from the curb before speaking. “I wanted to thank you for taking the time to see me,” she began, “Especially given what you described as your current workload.” 

“I don’t mind,” Naoto replied politely enough, “Truthfully I am curious. This _is_ in regard to the recent rash of mental shutdowns, is it not?” 

The smile that Mitsuru gave her was not surprised, but nonetheless pleased. “You’re correct.”

“You’ll have to forgive further curiosity, then,” Naoto said, “I’m most likely happy to accept, especially given my own interest in the case. But it’s no secret you have significant resources at your disposal. What led you to seek me out?” In some ways it felt like Golden Week all over again, though this time Naoto had a much better picture of the woman sitting across from her. 

Mitsuru did not immediately answer, her face falling into something more thoughtful.

“Your larger workload. Is it… normal? No,” she shook her head, “What I mean to ask is, would you say you’ve noticed the number of cases you’re getting increasing lately- unusually so? And more notably, have you noticed an increase in cases that specifically require you to leave or stay away from the Tokyo area?”

Whatever question Naoto had been expecting… that wasn’t _quite_ the one. It would be a lie to say she hadn’t noticed, that she’d even been _thinking_ how her current surefit of work was unnatural. How - while there was always crime in need of solving - the current surge was… unprecedented for her. Both in scale and duration. But Mitsuru’s words got the gears in her head turning, pointing out something that finally gave her clues as to what might be behind the sure, and why.

If what Mitsuru was suggesting was true, then someone wanted her out of Tokyo. The hotbed of activity for mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns.

Rather than humor Mitsuru with an answer, when her silence had likely already done so, Naoto grimaced. “What about yourself?”

With a sigh, Mitsuru flicked through a few settings on her tablet. “You understand, of course, that I’m telling you this in confidence. This isn’t information that can be shared with the general public.” When Naoto nodded, she continued. 

“The Kirijo group has been encountering some… problems, of late. Business deals that have fallen through or apart, minor scandals within the company, difficulties with meeting regulations and standards, even where we’ve excelled before.”

“Some of it is simply work minutiae, things that I wouldn’t normally need to concern myself with. However, lately even that’s come through at a volume that demands my attention. Sometimes I need to address the problems directly, other times I’m pulled into lengthy meetings about underlying issues and how best to address them. Additionally…” here she offered the tablet out. Taking it, Naoto found pages of correspondence between the Security Planning Division and other parts of the government. And, more interestingly, with some members of the National Diet. Among other things, she noted that the government support - both in funding and personnel - had been slashed six times over the past 18 months. 

“We’ve been encountering increased resistance from the rest of the government. Even with the evidence that the current crisis is not something that can be handled via mundane methods. I understand that the Security Planning Division has never been the most popular of departments. Even at its inception, there were few who wished to hand over so much power to what they saw as an outside party.”

That much Naoto understood. She remembered all too well _why_ she’d been called to investigate the Shadow Operatives in the first place. To prove that, above all else, Mitsuru and the Shadow Operatives were here to do exactly what they said they wanted to do. 

“Up until now, we’ve managed to work without too much difficulty because the government recognized that these incidents were a threat, and that we were one of the few people with the knowledge and skills to handle it.” Mitsuru smiled wryly, “Not to mention the willingness to put up funds.”

“And yet now, even with evidence that such an incident is once again happening, we’re finding more and more resistance from the rest of the government. At this point… we’re all but unable to function aboveground as a government task force.” 

Naoto grimaced before offering the tablet back. “You’re being mired in red tape.” 

“Essentially, yes,” Mitsuru sighed, “With all of the interference with the Shadow Operatives, we’ve barely made any progress with the cases of mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, and nothing that actually pushes us towards a resolution. And with the administrative problems with the Kirijo Group, there have been some calls for me to divert my time and funds away from my ‘pet projects’ and back into the company.” 

Naoto winced. 

“Of course, I have no plans to do any such thing,” Mitsuru said, scowling darkly, “But it’s still a mark of how much the situation has escalated, to a point I can no longer ignore.” 

“And you think this is all intentional?” she asked, “You think it’s to keep you from investigating the mental shutdowns?”

“I only have my suspicions, and little actual proof, but…” Mitsuru leaned forward, “If you are indeed experiencing a similar effect, then I’m almost certain. Someone is targeting those with knowledge of the cognitive world and the means to investigate the mental shutdowns, and trying to keep them from doing so.” 

Hm… It was still possible it could be coincidence. Two data points by themselves did not fully establish a pattern. But something in her gut told Naoto that Mitsuru was very likely onto something. 

“So what are you proposing?” she asked slowly, “If what you’re suggesting is true, investigating this more closely myself could pose just as much a problem. I’m already considered a potential threat to them.”

Mitsuru… hesitated, her face showing some of the first real distress she’d shown during their entire conversation, “You’re not wrong. It’s also possible that the attempts to impede us both could very well escalate if we continue to investigate. The amount of resistance I’ve run into so far could only be orchestrated by someone powerful, likely even a group of such individuals. If you choose to accept, this assignment could very well become dangerous. And not just the sort of danger we’re used to experiencing.” 

She meant to say that it could become dangerous outside of the cognitive world, Naoto realized. The kind of danger that couldn’t be counteracted with a Persona. 

“But in the end you’re still a private investigator. With the Shadow Operatives as they are now, I’m beholden to the current government. I must maintain a certain level of transparency with them. And while I’ve considered withdrawing and moving our operations to the private sphere… I’m concerned that it will cost us access to what allies we do have there, not to mention any benefits or political clout our legitimacy affords us.” 

“It’s still on the table, but not something you wish to do unless absolutely necessary,” Naoto mused, “And certainly not while there are other options available.”

“Precisely. And...” Mitsuru paused again, “Truthfully, I need your help. I’d rather not fall prey to the instinct to try to handle this all myself. If the mental shutdowns are involved, then there’s too much at stake.” 

She didn’t say as much aloud, but Naoto could tell that they were reaching the point where she needed to give an answer of some kind. Thankfully, it didn’t take her more than a minute’s consideration to have one to give. Mitsuru was right: there was too much at stake here. Not to mention if someone was harassing those with knowledge of the cognitive world, they were the only ones who might be _able_ to do something. 

And she was hardly going to let fear or hesitation rule her reactions. If someone was hoping to confuse or intimidate her into inaction, to manipulate her like some sort of tool, they would have another thought coming.

“It may take some time to get my affairs in order and withdraw quietly from the public eye. I don’t want to raise any undue suspicions,” she said, “But as I mentioned before… yes. I will help you in finding the cause of the cognitive shutdowns. And whoever is attempting to interfere us - they hardly seem to be doing so out of benevolence.” 

Mitsuru smiled - a small, relieved sort of thing, though no less warm because of it. “Let me know when you’re available. We’ll discuss the finer details then.” Her tone hardened, “And we _will_ find out whoever has us on the back foot. They’ll be sure to regret it.” She offered her hand.

Naoto took it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Periphery is _meant_ to be an anthology of stories with a light underlying continuity, most of which I've already figured out. My brain being prolific with ideas as it is though, we'll see how that actually turns out. I'm very much a gardener type of fic author, you'll find.
> 
> In any case, the first few chapters are going to be me establishing that continuity, or at least a good portion of it. Also Periphery itself will be restricted to the stories that are canon-compliant (mostly, I reserve the right to play with a few minor canon details and assume off-screen interactions at my leisure). Any potential AU timelines (and believe me, they're there) will go into the rest of Peripheral Spaces.
> 
> Also touch down chapter two is coming...! The problem with writing a fic that plays with a lot of Personaverse cognitive world lore is you feel the need to slam through P1, P2:IS&EP even if you aren't at any of the chapters that touch on said lore yet. Also my brain has been toying with no less than six different fic ideas at once so y'know. Here we are.


End file.
